Home link garage opener range?

[iamdub]

Overhead Door brand operators a re-labeled Genies

 

[gdfein]

Dec'16 Update:

Well bad news, our house got hit with a power surge from lightning a few weeks ago and we had various electrical damage, of which the garage door openers were part (along with entire garage GFCI circuit).

Good news, we replaced both garage openers with Chamberlain top o the line with MyQ. The installer even programmed both the homelink transmitters my wife's Escalade and my Yukon (both MY16's). Now we get range from 7-8 houses away ~600+ feet.

Conclusion, the builder grade Genie openers with the house sucked!!


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[Denali132]

I just bought a new 2016 S and the range on my Home link is terrible! My 2008 Escalade worked from the house next-door when I was pulling in Andy my new Sub I have to be right in front of it to open and sometimes I have to hit it a few times! I have a Lift master and have 2 doors. Not sure what model but I'll check. It's definitely the Home link. I havy4% Tint all the way around my vehicle and I did with my Escalade too.

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[Denali132]

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[iamdub]

One thing I've noticed is with some Homelinks and also with the newer GM built-in remote (I still don't know what it's called, but it's not the third-party Homelink) is that you have to hold the button for about a second. I just always told customers to hold the button until they see the door move. The transmitter in the car may just be weaker or maybe has a more focused signal. You can't do much about that but you can increase the range on the receiver's antenna. The extended wire trick is about a 50/50 probability. The proper way to do it is to use two wires, one being a ground and connected (soldered is best) to the circuit inside the operator. This requires you to remove the panel off the back of the operator and do some electronic work to the control board located on the back side of the panel. The alternative to this is to use a separate external receiver and coax cable and outside antenna as mentioned in post #5.

 

[swabbot]

I found out the hard way that LED light bulbs in garage door openers messes with the signal. No clue why...but it solved my problem instantly. Using home link was totally hit or miss depending on the day if it worked at all...swapped out with an incandescent bulb and i now have 200' of range.

 

[Denali132]

Iamdub normally I could just push the purple learn button on the back of my lift master and hold the button on my SUV until the light flashed on my garage door opener and the door would open but on my new Suburban it would not work. I had to use the remote for the garage door opener and press it and a few other things. This was the hardest vehicle to program I've ever had. Why wouldn't the old way work by holding down the learn button and then press the button on the Home link?

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[Denali132]

Swabbot the new CFL lights won't even work in my garage door opener. The only bulbs that work are the old original bulbs. Why the CFL bulbs won't work is weird!

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[iamdub]

I found out the hard way that LED light bulbs in garage door openers messes with the signal. No clue why...but it solved my problem instantly. Using home link was totally hit or miss depending on the day if it worked at all...swapped out with an incandescent bulb and i now have 200' of range.

Good info! It makes sense with the way the drivers ("transformers") for the LEDs in the bulbs work that they could cause interference. Also, the bulbs are in the front of the operator, putting them in between the control board/receiver and your transmitter. Thanks for mentioning that.

Iamdub normally I could just push the purple learn button on the back of my lift master and hold the button on my SUV until the light flashed on my garage door opener and the door would open but on my new Suburban it would not work. I had to use the remote for the garage door opener and press it and a few other things. This was the hardest vehicle to program I've ever had. Why wouldn't the old way work by holding down the learn button and then press the button on the Home link?

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I never could get mine to program when I tried **** it the way I always had before (tapping the LEARN button then holding the button in the car until the light on the operator blinked). When Googling for a solution, I ran across a suggestion to tap the LEARN button and then press the button in the car repeatedly, holding it for about a second with each press. I used a yardstick to tap the button then ran to my Tahoe to start pressing the button. I'd guess it was about the fifth press that the operator light blinked, indicating it had learned the transmitter. Also, you don't want to hold the LEARN button. Holding it for six seconds will erase all stored transmitters and you will have to start over.

 

[iamdub]

Just to throw my two cents in on operator bulbs: That one little bulb on the front of the operator is almost useless, especially if you have dark tint and back into your garage. I use the operator's bulb circuit to trigger a relay that switches on the main garage lights. The relay is wired in parallel to the terminals on the wall switch, so it's on the same circuit and is just like turning on the switch. The wall switch still functions just as it always has and can be turned on even if the operator already has the lights triggered on.



Yes, my OCD made me braid those wires. It became my "calling card" of sorts and I braided the wires on almost every install I did.